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Parent-teacher interview nights cancelled at some school

Recent Ontario teacher contracts that required unpaid days off has led to the loss of some parent nights after the February report card.

Catholic board chair Jo-Ann Davis says the loss of formal parent-teacher nights doesn't mean parents won't have a chance to speak with their child's teacher. Teachers will make themselves available any time parents request it to talk about their child's progress.
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Many Toronto elementary schools have cancelled the traditional parent-teacher interviews for February report cards — which go home this week — because there’s no professional development day to schedule them.

“We are working with our (teacher) unions to send out a joint letter to parents to know that for this year, teachers will make themselves available to meet with parents, as they always do, at any time in lieu of the fact that there’s no formal parent-teacher interview night,” said Catholic board chair Jo-Ann Davis.

The first elementary report card, which goes out in the fall, is followed by scheduled parent-teacher interviews. In the Toronto public and Catholic boards, parent-teacher interviews for the second report are typically held on a Thursday night and the following Friday morning — a professional activity day. Teachers are then given Friday afternoon off in lieu of working the night before.

But this school year, teachers in many Ontario school boards are being forced to take an unpaid day off before March break — their second of two unpaid days this school year — something agreed to in their contract to fund salary grid increases for younger teachers.

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Davis said trustees have also asked that a letter be sent to the Ministry of Education about the impact of the loss of the two professional development days.

She said she’s been assured by the ministry that next year, the professional activity days will be restored.

“This is something that’s of concern, and we want to let parents understand that teachers are there to support students, and if parents have concerns around their child’s success or wellbeing in the classroom, we want them to know teachers are there for the students.”

The Toronto District School Board says schools may plan interview nights, but it will vary across the city. Last month, it sent a note to all schools saying that without the professional development day, they “will need to find some common time frames so that parents can have some options for conferences with teachers … with a focus on meeting community (parent needs).”

In November, the Toronto Catholic board sent out a letter warning parents that “formal” parent-teacher interviews would be held that month only, and blamed the provincial Putting Students First Act, “which imposed several conditions including the reduction of paid professional activity days.”

Beach area parent Kevin Morrison said he’s not heard any complaints about the lack of parent-teacher interviews, but said at his children’s Catholic elementary school, his daughters’ teachers regularly communicate with parents via email and texting, and update marks online, though he acknowledged the level of communication was unusual.

“In-class test and assignment marks appear online before she comes home from school,” he says of his Grade 5 daughter. “We quite literally get a real-time window on how she did on her big test shortly after she completes it.”

Teachers in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic board, however, are taking part in formal interview nights, although they, too, must take two unpaid days off. They are not being given any lieu time.

Formal interview nights are important, and “a pro-active way to give parents the idea that these are things they should attend,” said Annie Kidder, of the research and advocacy group People for Education.

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